Think
you know how low Hollywood’s predators can sink? Guess again. Katie Connor never
asked for fame or even steady acting work. Yet, she become the focus of a
twisted psychological fame-game in David Moscow’s Desolation (trailer
here), which opens this Friday in select
theaters.
Connor
does not even know who Jay Cutter is, but the rest of Elmira, New York is
excited to have him shooting a movie there, especially Debbie, her bestie and
fellow hotel clerk. Connor probably shouldn’t be getting too excited about
anything, given her meds and history of mental instability. Nevertheless,
Cutter takes an instant liking to her. He sweeps her off her fleet and carries
her off to Hollywood with him.
That
is where things begin to get weird. Cutter can be a wee bit controlling, but
Connor just dismisses it as enthusiasm and the influence of his Hollywood environment.
Some of his friends are downright creepy, but they can’t compare to the
galloping weird Father Bill in the apartment below. The whole building seems toxic,
especially when Cutter leaves for a brief replacement shoot. Connor starts to
go the way of Catherine Deneuve in Repulsion,
but she will still be tougher to crack than “they” expected.
Not
to be confused with Sam Patton’s camping horror film of the same name, Moscow’s
Desolation is sure to attract
attention in Hollywood for several reasons. Obviously, it is ultra-zeitgeisty,
depicting the craven moral corruption of Tinsel Town, at its most predatory. It
is also the directorial debut of Moscow, still best known for playing Tom Hanks’
original boyhood self in Big and
stars Dominik García-Lorido (Andy Garcia’s daughter and a Magic City cast-member) as Connor. Both equip themselves quite well
thoughout.
García-Lorido
does indeed show impressive range in the Deneuve-esque lead role. However, the
real star is Raymond J. Barry (Sen. Richard Matheson on The X-Files), who has a blast chewing the scenery as the dubious
Father Bill. He just blows poor Brook Kelly (not to be confused with Kelly
LeBrock) off the screen, as the dull himbo lure.
As
soon as Moscow and screenwriters Craig Walendziak & Matthew McCarty start
dropping hint, we can pretty much figure out everything going on behind the
curtain. However, the execution of the third act is still sharp enough to keep
us hooked. Recommended for horror fans, Desolation
opens this Friday (1/26) in a targeted release.
